Written questions by Rosindell.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to support local authorities to make use of disused buildings in a) England and b) Romford constituency.

The government is committed to supporting local authorities to bring disused buildings back into use. Through the introduction of High Street Rental Auction powers in this parliament, we gave local authorities the power to auction the lease of long-term vacant commercial properties, putting tools in local hands to take action on empty properties. The government is also supporting wider regeneration efforts, providing up to £5 billion nationally to help the most deprived communities to thrive through the Pride in Place Programme. This includes up to £20 million to Harold Hill East, which the neighbourhood may choose to use for local regeneration efforts. In addition, we are consulting on a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which includes policies on the reuse of buildings and is currently open for responses until 10 March.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to support local authorities in repurposing derelict sites.

Derelict buildings can blight communities and the government is committed to giving communities the tools to revitalise them. The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on go.uk here. The government’s Pride in Place programme will provide up to £5bn to help the most deprived communities thrive. The programme will put local neighbourhoods back in control, with 244 across the country given up to £20m of flexible funding over 10-years to unlock the potential of the place they call home. Restoring derelict buildings is one of the options available to those neighbourhoods, amongst other local priorities. The government has also introduced High Street Rental Auction powers, giving councils the power to auction the lease of long-term vacant properties.

Communities and Local Government, if he will encourage local authorities to introduce enhanced discretion in the dispensing of civil enforcement penalties.

It is for local authorities to decide how they dispense civil enforcement penalties.Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, local authorities must ensure that their parking policies are proportionate, support town centre prosperity, and reconcile competing demands for space whilst ensuring traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities.Statutory guidance for local housing authorities on civil penalties for various housing offences can be found here. Revised draft statutory guidance for offences committed from 1 May 2026 following commencement of relevant provisions in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, can be found here.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to ensure that new infrastructure projects protect the green belt in a) Essex and b) Romford constituency.

The government is committed to preserving Green Belts which have served England's towns and cities well over many decades, not least in terms of checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that inappropriate development in the Green Belt, including infrastructure, should not be approved unless justified by very special circumstances. The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, rules- based policies for plan-making and decision-making. The consultation includes revisions to Green Belt policy. The consultation on changes to the NPPF is available on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his Department’s policy to review the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007.

Local Authority parking is governed by legislation including the Traffic Management Act 2004 and related regulations. The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007 has been revoked primarily through The Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022. The 2022 regulations were made under powers in the Traffic Management Act 2004. The Traffic Management Act 2004 places a duty on local authorities to make sure traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities. It gives councils tools to manage parking policies; coordinate street works and enforce some moving traffic offences.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Regulation 10 of The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023, how many emergency works notices were received by the Building Safety Regulator for remedial works for transfer slab defects in 2025.

The Building Safety Regulator has not identified any emergency work or building control approval applications related to remedial work for transfer slabs in 2025.

Communities and Local Government, how many compliance notices under section 35B of the Building Act the Building Safety Regulator has issued in 2025.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has identified four Compliance Notices that have been made under Section 35B of the Building Act 1984 in 2025. These include three that are in draft, and one that has been issued. The BSR has identified that there have been five stop notices made under Section 35C of the Building Act 1984 in 2025. These include three that are in draft, and two that have been issued.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Regulation 11 of The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023, how many Building Control Applications were received by the Building Safety Regulator for remedial works for transfer slab defects in 2025.

The Building Safety Regulator has not identified any emergency work or building control approval applications related to remedial work for transfer slabs in 2025.

Communities and Local Government, how many stop notices under section 35C of the Building Act 1984 the Building Safety Regulator issued in 2025.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has identified four Compliance Notices that have been made under Section 35B of the Building Act 1984 in 2025. These include three that are in draft, and one that has been issued. The BSR has identified that there have been five stop notices made under Section 35C of the Building Act 1984 in 2025. These include three that are in draft, and two that have been issued.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Section 47 of The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023, how many regularisation certificate applications were (a) received and (b) approved by the Building Safety Regulator in 2025; and what was the average time taken by the regulator to approve these applications.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) can confirm that in 2025 there were 159 Regularisation Applications received with 47 approvals being delivered. The average time in which an approval was made was 33 weeks. In 2025 BSR received 2335 Completion Certificate Applications, granting 664 approvals. The average time in which an approval has been made was 28 weeks. The BSR can confirm that in 2025 there were 514 Change Control requests received with 148 of these marked as complete. The average time taken by the BSR to approve the applications cannot be determined as the Change Requests do not have a definitive outcome date. Last June, MHCLG announced a new phase for the BSR, including strengthened leadership, steps to address operational challenges to speed up decision making, and plans for a new body for the BSR. Enhanced operating models are delivering significant progress. A new Innovation Unit has dramatically reduced processing time for new build applications, with the highest quality applications approved within the 12-week target, whilst the BSR continues to make strong headway tackling cases already in the system. BSR continue publish performance data monthly to support transparency and accountability.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Section 21 of The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023, how many change control applications were (a) received and (b) approved in 2025 by the Building Safety Regulator; and what was the average time taken by the regulator to approve the applications.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) can confirm that in 2025 there were 159 Regularisation Applications received with 47 approvals being delivered. The average time in which an approval was made was 33 weeks. In 2025 BSR received 2335 Completion Certificate Applications, granting 664 approvals. The average time in which an approval has been made was 28 weeks. The BSR can confirm that in 2025 there were 514 Change Control requests received with 148 of these marked as complete. The average time taken by the BSR to approve the applications cannot be determined as the Change Requests do not have a definitive outcome date. Last June, MHCLG announced a new phase for the BSR, including strengthened leadership, steps to address operational challenges to speed up decision making, and plans for a new body for the BSR. Enhanced operating models are delivering significant progress. A new Innovation Unit has dramatically reduced processing time for new build applications, with the highest quality applications approved within the 12-week target, whilst the BSR continues to make strong headway tackling cases already in the system. BSR continue publish performance data monthly to support transparency and accountability.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Section 40 of The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023, how many completion certificate applications were (a) received and (b) approved in 2025 by the Building Safety Regulator; and what was the average time taken by the regulator to approve these applications.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) can confirm that in 2025 there were 159 Regularisation Applications received with 47 approvals being delivered. The average time in which an approval was made was 33 weeks. In 2025 BSR received 2335 Completion Certificate Applications, granting 664 approvals. The average time in which an approval has been made was 28 weeks. The BSR can confirm that in 2025 there were 514 Change Control requests received with 148 of these marked as complete. The average time taken by the BSR to approve the applications cannot be determined as the Change Requests do not have a definitive outcome date. Last June, MHCLG announced a new phase for the BSR, including strengthened leadership, steps to address operational challenges to speed up decision making, and plans for a new body for the BSR. Enhanced operating models are delivering significant progress. A new Innovation Unit has dramatically reduced processing time for new build applications, with the highest quality applications approved within the 12-week target, whilst the BSR continues to make strong headway tackling cases already in the system. BSR continue publish performance data monthly to support transparency and accountability.

Communities and Local Government, how many times his Department has given consent for a direction to be made under Section 13 (5) of the Building Safety Act 2022; and which local authorities are subject to such directions.

Under Section 13 of the Building Safety Act 2022, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) may direct a relevant authority to do anything for the purpose of facilitating the exercise by the regulator of a relevant function, or enabling the relevant authority to facilitate the exercise by the regulator of a relevant function, as specified in the direction. Under Section 13(5), a direction from the BSR may be given only with the consent of the Secretary of State. BSR has not directed or sought to direct any local authority (or fire and rescue authority) under Section 13(5) of the Building Safety Act 2022. Consequently, the Secretary of State has not given consent for any direction made under Section 13(5).

Communities and Local Government, if he will criminalise unenforceable clauses in tenancy agreements.

Upon commencement on 1 May 2026, the relevant provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will require landlords to provide their tenants with certain information about the terms of the tenancy in writing.Landlords will be able to comply with this requirement by including the information in a written tenancy agreement. Landlords who fail to provide the prescribed information could face a fine of up to £7,000 from their local authority.The Renters’ Rights Act also provides local authorities with powers to act against unenforceable clauses such as requiring a tenant to sign a fixed term.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce housefires in social housing in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Department continues to run its national Fire Kills campaign to raise awareness of key fire safety messages and behaviours to help keep people safe in their homes. The latest advertising campaign launched on 17 November and reminds people to ensure they have a sufficient number of working smoke alarms in their home. The Department works in close partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council to support local community fire safety activity undertaken by local fire and rescue services, often targeted at those most vulnerable to fire. Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2015, all private and social landlords must ensure at least one smoke alarm is equipped on each storey of their homes where there is a room used as living accommodation. Awaab’s Law was introduced in October 2025 and means that landlords must take action to investigate emergency hazards, including fire hazards, and make them safe within 24 hours (excluding work to fix cladding). The landlord must also take action on significant damp and mould in fixed timelines. In 2026 the requirements will expand to apply to a wider range of hazards, including significant fire hazards. The Department has also consulted on reviewing the Decent Homes Standard that social landlords must meet, including a proposal to add fire alarm systems to the list of building components that must be kept in good repair. The response to the consultation will be published in due course.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer given on 06 November 2025 (86606), what specific actions his department has taken to ensure that citizens of an Overseas British Territory are not deprived of housing and subsistence whilst resident in the UK.

You can find information about eligibility for housing assistance in England in Chapter 7 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance, which is published on gov.uk here. Access to public funds depends on whether the individual is British Citizen or not, and what visa the individual has. Further guidance can be found here. DWP cannot pay public funds benefits to individuals where the Home Office has applied a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition to their immigration status. Everyone arriving or returning to the UK, including British Nationals, are subject to DWP’s residency tests in order to access public funds and benefits, unless an exemption applies.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 71834 on Construction: Foreign Investment in UK, how many building control applications managed by the Fast Track innovation unit were (a) approved within the statutory time frame, (b) approved after the statutory time frame, (c) approved within the 65 working day target, (d) approved outside that target, (e) not yet approved and the statutory time frame has expired, (f) not yet approved and the 65 working day target has expired and (g) have been rejected.

The June reforms mark a pivotal step in positioning the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) for the future, reflecting the Government's commitment to enhancing safety and supporting residents. On 4th August, the BSR launched the innovation unit to accelerate new-build applications. The new model is working effectively, with the majority of cases progressing in line with expectations, and some already concluded. It will take time for the benefits to be felt across the system, however we would expect the model to start to deliver tangible improvements around December. To support transparency and accountability, the BSR published performance data on 16 October and will continue to do so monthly to track progress against this commitment. We are expecting the next release of data towards the end of November.

Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on streamlining Gateway 2 approvals under the Building Safety Regulator.

My department and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) recognises that the delays in assessing Building Control Applications have been unacceptable and that they impact upon all parts of the construction supply chain. This is why we announced reforms to the BSR on 30 June, including plans to establish the BSR as a separate body. The BSR has listened to feedback from the industry and the reform package announced on 30 June 2025 is already having a positive impact on operations, with twice as many decisions being made by the BSR between June-September 2025 in comparison to January-March 2025. The BSR has committed to improving BSR operations by December, with faster processing of new build applications and decisions on most of the existing new-build caseload. The BSR published performance data on 16 October and will continue to do so monthly to track progress against this commitment.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of construction supply chain bottlenecks associated with Gateway 2 on the construction plant-hire sector.

My department and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) recognises that the delays in assessing Building Control Applications have been unacceptable and that they impact upon all parts of the construction supply chain. This is why we announced reforms to the BSR on 30 June, including plans to establish the BSR as a separate body. The BSR has listened to feedback from the industry and the reform package announced on 30 June 2025 is already having a positive impact on operations, with twice as many decisions being made by the BSR between June-September 2025 in comparison to January-March 2025. The BSR has committed to improving BSR operations by December, with faster processing of new build applications and decisions on most of the existing new-build caseload. The BSR published performance data on 16 October and will continue to do so monthly to track progress against this commitment.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to help reduce the proportion of highly deprived neighbourhoods.

The Pride in Place Strategy sets out how we will deliver up to £5 billion in funding and support to 339 places experiencing the highest levels of deprivation, with two key funding streams. Our Pride in Place Programme will support 244 neighbourhoods with up to £20 million of flexible funding and support over 10 years to unlock the potential of the place they call home. We have used metrics that identify ‘double-disadvantaged’ neighbourhoods – those suffering from a combination of material deprivation and low social capital. The full place selection methodology is set out here. The Pride in Place Impact Fund provides around £150 million to a further 95 places to make immediate improvements to high streets, community venues and public spaces across the next two years. This funding has been targeted at the places most in-need using deprivation and community pride measures. The full place selection methodology is set out here.